


Fate Is On Our Side

by S_222



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Gotham (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Confessions, Cute, Emotional, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotions, Fate, Fate & Destiny, Feelings, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Gift Giving, Hugs, Injury, Injury Recovery, M/M, Pain, Serious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 13:31:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18283283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/S_222/pseuds/S_222
Summary: My ideal for how I wish the last scene between Edward and Oswald will go in 5x11.Takes place after Oswald is injured, and they get real with one another.





	Fate Is On Our Side

**Author's Note:**

> I had so many emotions while writing this. Enjoy xoxo

Oswald stood in the center of his home, one hand in his pocket, the other on the bandage wrapped around his skull. Everything had happened so quick he needed a moment to sort through the series of events in his fogged up head.  
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

One moment he was on top of the roof, guns blazing with bullets flying in every direction. Jim and Harvey were off to the side while Edward Nygma stuck close beside him. The air was heavy with grey smoke that made it difficult to see where he was aiming. 

Most of the time he would emerge out of cover only to spray aimlessly down below, hoping he would hit something before ducking back to the safety of cover. 

Things were going surprisingly well - it had seemed like that. After all, every shooter on his side remained uninjured while those down below seemed to grow less and less as their shots rained down upon them. 

At one moment in particular, Oswald felt a spark of confidence as the sounds of gunfire lessened. His back rests against the ledge as he props himself up, ready to spring out and finish what ever poor soul was still alive. 

Ed remained knelt, watching as Oswald pushed himself off the wall to a standing position, ready and eager to resume fire. 

Ed knew Oswald. Knew him probably more than anyone else in the entirety of his life. So it was easy to catch his sudden change in expression. If it was anyone else here with Oswald, they would have guessed wrong. They would think that was fear in his expression. Shock, surprise, anger, confusion. - but Ed knew better. 

It was regret. 

The first thing Oswald felt was his sudden longing for Ed as his body was tossed threw the air. 

The second was the tremendous amount of pain that seared through his right eye and made his entire face feel numb. 

The third was his weak body slamming against the hard cement. 

And the fourth was his sudden lack of senses. 

His ears rang from the echo of the blast, the sounds of coughing around him so muffled he could barely hear them. And when he opened his eyes his vision was very minimal and blurred. 

He could barely see, god why couldn't he see?! 

And suddenly he couldn't keep either eye open as the pain seemed to intensify every time he tried to. 

All he felt like doing was scream. 

So he did. 

His voice was the only thing he could hear clear as it echoed through the ashy air, hands shooting up to cup the right side of his face. He seemed to still have his sense of touch as his palms suddenly felt sticky and wet from the blood that seeped out of his wound. 

"Oswald! Oh my god, Oswald!" 

The sound came from above his head, faint and seemingly distant. 

"Oswald! We need to get you out of here". 

The voice was louder now, soothing almost. And even through the intense agony he was feeling that made him long for the pains in his bad leg, he knew that voice belonged to Ed.

Ed had come for him. Ed was here. Ed would take care of him. And he would be okay. 

_"I've got you Oswald. Hang in there..."_

____

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Oswald remains still as a statue, waiting for the memory that occurred only hours ago to drift away and bring him back to reality. 

He finally lowers his hand from the hold it kept on his bandages, dragging his leg lazily behind him to reach his desk. He leans on his arms for support while lowering his head to exhale a long shaky breath. 

Why was he cursed to a life of misery? And where the hell was Ed?

He had pulled Oswald to safety. Delivered him to Lee. Placed a gentle and warm hand on his shoulder as he violently shook from either blood loss or fear. 

But when Lee began her examination, Ed was told to leave the room for privacy sake and Oswald hasn't seen him since. 

As if on queue, the sound of rapid footsteps against the glossy tiles emerges from behind him. 

Oswald turns to lean against his desk, watching as Ed hurriedly enters the room. 

"Oswald... I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner. Jim needed me to go back to help them and I..." 

His heart sinks at the sight of his friend bandaged up. He knew from the amount of blood it had been bad, and he had even checked in with Lee before he came here. She had told him it was likely he would suffer permanent vision loss. But even knowing this it still startled him to see his friend bandaged up and looking utterly defeated. 

The typical cocky and loud Oswald he knew was not the person standing before him now.

"I'm sorry" he finishes, keeping himself at a comfortable distance. He didn't want Oswald to catch him staring at his bandages. 

"Ed, it's fine. Really". 

Silence dominates the room as the two stare longingly at one another. 

They say that you can tell a lot about someone from how they look at you. That your expression can betray you and give away your deepest secrets. And if their glances were anything to go by, Oswald's would say "I'm so glad you're finally here" and Ed's would say "I wish I could take all your pain away".  


_____ _

"I checked in with Lee before I came here" is what he says instead, breaking the silence.  


Oswald has to force himself not to scrunch up his face at the image of Ed and Lee alone in a room.  


"Oh, did you?"  


"Mhm. I just wanted to check in with her about your condition".  


Oswald would roll his eyes if his right one didn't hurt so bad. He had doubts that the only reason Ed went to see Lee was for his sake.  


As if Ed was quick to pick up on his internal dialogue he raises a confused eyebrow.  


"Are you alright?"  


It was both a gift that Ed could simply tell everything about Oswald just from looking at him and also a curse. On one hand, it meant he cared enough to notice these details about Oswald. But on the other, it made him feel so defenseless against him. Like he was an open book.  


"Is your leg bothering you? Maybe you should sit down" he adds.  


And all too quick Oswald is reminded of how clueless Ed actually was when it came to Oswald's deepest feelings. The ones that resurfaced every time he was in a room with this man and was forced to push them back down in fear of getting hurt all over again.  


"Im fine" Oswald replies rather coldly.  


"Oswald.. you just suffered a really bad injury to your eye. Its okay not to be okay"  


He wants to scream at this idiot for missing the point. It wasn't his eye that was bothering him, or his leg.. How could he not see that!?  


It was how even after everything the two have been through, at the end of every miserable damn day, Ed would always choose to be with anyone else but Oswald. And Oswald would have to continue on as if the thought of that alone didn't kill him.  


If Oswald could literally wish for anything in the world, anything at all, It wouldn't be that his leg would be healed, that his vision would come back, or even that he ruled Gotham and everyone in it.  


It would simply be _"I wish that Ed would love me the way that I love him"._  


"Im just worried is all" Ed says, removing his hat to run a hand through his hair. "You lost a lot of blood you know"  


Oswald shifts his weight onto his bad leg, using the momentary ripple of pain it creates to distract him from the tears that threaten to spill from the eye that isn't covered.  


It almost seems as if Ed genuinely cares. He wishes he could let himself believe it, but instead stubbornly refuses to say anything.  


Ed's mouth dips at the corner, accepting his defeat. Oswald wasn't in the mood to talk, and he respects that even though he feels slightly hurt.  


He puts his hat back on with one hand, using the other to dig through his pocket for the item he had brought with him.  


The shuffling in his pocket captures Oswald's attention as his gaze falls on the item Ed pulls out of his pocket.  


_Is that... It can't be.._  


But when Ed moves closer to diminish the space between them and holds up the little origami penguin folded neat, propped upright in the palm of his hand, Oswald's mouth drops right along with his heart.  


"Just a little something I made to make you feel better" Ed plops the little guy onto the desk beside them. "Oh and I have these too" he continues, holding up the shattered pair of glasses Oswald had worn during the incident. "You might need new ones" he jokes, also setting them down on the desk.  


Ed suddenly felt nervous, moving his eyes to everywhere but Oswald. "I'll leave you to rest now"  


Oswald is at a loss for words, watching his friend slowly begin to move towards the exit. He looks down at the penguin, unable to hold back a smile eyeing the tag that reads "Feel better soon, Ozzie".  


Maybe Ed did care after all.  


And when Oswald looks up to see Ed almost out the door he panics, not wanting him to leave.  


"Ed, wait!" he calls out, and Ed whips around a little too fast, as if he was hoping Oswald would call after him.  


He makes his way back into the room, this time choosing to position himself much closer to Oswald who stays glued against his desk.  


"I realize I didn't thank you for what you did back there. You could have easily fled like the rest of them. So.. uh.." he shifts uncomfortably, not knowing where to go with this. He was never the best at being sentimental. "Well..I just.. I guess... I owe you one".  


His mouth forms into a firm line after his speech, silently cursing himself for his own cringiness. He had seen this man everyday for the past 9 months, spending as much time with him as they had before everything bad happened. Why was it suddenly so hard to talk to him now?  


Ed seems back to his confident self and Oswald is grateful for his fast reply that leaves him no time to simmer in his own embarrassment.  


"Oswald.. you don't owe me anything. You know I care about you right?"  


"You do?" Oswald blurts, snapping his mouth shut as he watches Ed scrunch his face in what looks like confusion.  


"Of course I do. I didn't help you because I owed you, or because it was the right thing to do, or because I could because I happened to be right beside you when it happened. I helped you because I care about you and was afraid to lose you again".  
Ed is almost surprised to feel a weight lift off his shoulder at saying those words.  


Oswald on the other hand feels dizzy and like his legs are about to give out from underneath him.  


"And now I promise to leave you to rest because you look like you really need it".  


Oswald doesn't even hesitate, his words keeping Ed in place.  


"Remember when you asked me if I believed in fate?"  


Ed can't help but smile at the memory. He had saved Oswald's life that day, something he would forever feel proud of himself for doing. He remembered exactly how Oswald looked that day too, cozied up in his pajamas and bed. There was no denying the fascination he had with Oswald back then, wanting to seek his approval at every turn.  


He nods his head in response. "Feels like so long ago..."  


"Yeah, it does" Oswald agrees. "I didn't think it existed back then. I mean, I had no real reason to believe that it did and I didn't care for it either. But that night you saved me, I felt different. And then you said the word and I thought about it a lot in the days we spent together. Everything that brought us up to this point.. there really is no other explanation for it.. is there?".  


Even now, Oswald had a hard time believing in it himself. That fate would have something in store for someone like Oswald Cobblepot, and that that something happened to be as extravagant as Edward Nygma. No matter if they fought again, hated each other, or drifted apart, it was comforting to know that fate would still be on his side and that they'd find their way back to one another.  


He hadn't noticed that Ed was staring at him, _really _staring at him.__  


Ed was grateful to see that the shimmering light in Oswald's good eye didn't diminish because he had always enjoyed getting lost in them even if he never admitted to it.  


He also would never admit how much he enjoyed Oswald talking because it gave him an excuse to stare and admire his features. Even with that cold persona he hid behind, there was no hiding the rush of emotions he felt from Oswald in this moment of truthfulness they were sharing.  


Ed wishes he could stare at this man forever and for an excuse to continue doing just that, he redirects a question right back on him.  


"Of course there is no other explanation for it. It's always been me and you against the world, hasn't it?"  


He had at some point moved closer into Oswald's space, the tips of their shoes touching.  


"Actually" Oswald shakes his head, "It hasn't. We weren't always on the same side... _remember?" _.__  


Ed knows what Oswald is hinting about, and no, he doesn't want to remember.  


He wishes he could take back ever pulling that trigger, causing Oswald that much pain and hurt. The guilt he felt would forever act as his punishment and he was grateful because he deserved it.  


"No" he finds himself saying, the right words coming to him because he was finally letting himself speak with emotions rather than his brain. "No, that's not true. Even after I'd... shot you, you were always with me. I saw you in hallucinations guiding me, lecturing me" he pauses briefly, deepening both his gaze at Oswald and his voice. "Singing to me..."  


Heat spills into Oswald's cheeks, turning his face slightly at the thought. Him singing? _That must have been an unattractive sight _, he thought.__  


Ed takes a second to admire the pink hue to Oswald's skin before continuing.  


"What I'm trying to say is that even when we were at odds with each other, and even when I was stubborn and didn't want to admit it, we are destined to be together in some way".  


Oswald gives into his nerves, finding to his surprise that they no longer had much control over him when he chose not to fight them.  


He extends a shaky hand in the intimate space they are sharing.  


"So, partners in crime then?"  


Ed wastes no time securing his warm hand around Oswald's slender fingers, allowing their skin to gently graze against one another before finding there comfortable position in an oddly intimate hand shake.  


As if Oswald wasn't already breathless at the simple contact of their hands, he is stunned when Ed tugs sharply causing Oswald to fall against his chest. The whole thing almost felt scripted at how perfectly their bodies fit and clung to one another.  


Oswald had dreamt for so long to be able to hold Edward in his arms again, but what he didn't know was that Ed craved it just as much as he did.  


He smiles against his shoulder, nestling his head into the crook of Ed's neck. Much like the first hug they shared on his couch, Oswald can't help but tighten his grip around Ed's slender body, scrunching up his green suit beneath his grip.  


And then Oswald feels that dreaded wall threatening to build up again, his anxiety trying to shame him for the entire situation. _Get a hold of yourself he thinks. Stop being so desperate.  
_

_____ _

Oswald works himself up enough to tense his body, straightening up to break free of his momentary bliss.  


Fortunately, Ed tightens his arms around Oswald forcing him back against his body even tighter this time.  


"No" he breathes against Oswald's ear "don't let go yet".  


Oswald melts into Edward, closing his eyes to soak in the feeling. If he had his way, he would never let go of him.  


Butterflies fill his stomach as Ed's warm breath finds it's way back against Oswald's ear.  


"I can't wait to see where fate takes us next".  


And it isn't until they pull apart after what feels like several minutes that Oswald finally answers.  


"I think I have an idea"  


Both finally giving into their desires, Oswald stretches up on his feet the same moment Ed leans down, eagerly introducing their lips to the first of what will be many sweet kisses  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed as much as I did writing it!


End file.
